Olympic Champion Hamish Carter retires - Triathlon Week

Robert G. · 03-08-2007, 03:54 PM

Olympic champion and triathlon great, Hamish Carter of New Zealand, has retired from the sport of triathlon. After months of hinting the end was near, Carter made his official retirement announcement on New Zealand television last night.

“The lifestyle of a pro athlete is fantastic, traveling around the world and chasing the dream,” commented the father of two. “But it has to come to an end.”

The 35 year old Kiwi enjoyed a remarkable career which culminated with his success at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

"It was one of those experiences so massive and powerful that every time I think about it, it gives me goosebumps, "said Carter, reminiscing about the final 60 metres of his Olympic journey which began four years earlier at the Sydney Olympics, with a disappointing 26th place.

"The key to success is failure. If I didn't have Sydney to wallow in, I wouldn't have won in Athens. It [Sydney] was the worst day of my life, but one of the most important," he added.

In over 14 years of racing, Carter won 12 World Cup races, a bronze medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and three world championship medals, two silver and one bronze, to secure his rank as arguably one of the sport’s greatest athletes.

Carter has flirted with retirement since his breakthrough win at Athens, but the lure of claiming a world championship gold medal kept him in the sport. At the 2006 world championships last year in Lausanne, Switzerland he was just off the mark with silver.

“There are just so many guys willing to do anything to get to the front and you’ve got to be so hungry and have so much drive and sometimes if you just can’t do that you’ve just got to step aside,” stated Carter after his silver-medal performance.

After Carter’s Olympic gold, the sport of triathlon exploded in New Zealand and made him an overnight celebrity. He never forgot his roots, however, and continues to support the sport at all levels. He still regularly attends the New Zealand national youth series and is at the finish line to hand out medals, sign autographs and congratulate the young athletes.

"It is hard to imagine our sport without Hamish," commented ITU Executive Director, Loreen Barnett. "He has had such a positive impact both on and off the field of play. His contribution goes beyond the number of times that he has stood on the podium and I hope that he will stay involved at the sport leadership level."

The temptation to continue heading into another Olympic qualifying year was huge but Carter weighed the options and made his decision. He will, instead, join New Zealand entrepreneur of the year Rod Drury in his new online accounting systems business after being approached at Christmas.

Carter says the chance to take up what he calls his first real job was an "exit strategy" he could not turn down. He describes the opportunity as another big dream to fulfill, and says he made the decision after in-depth discussion with his wife Marisa and coach Chris Pilone.

Carter had these words to sum up his 14 years, “The friendships you make in our sport are incredible and I think these friendships and fun times I've had I will remember for much longer than any results or races won/lost”

Source: International Triathlon Union